Page 59 of A Kiss of Flame

"I love you, Vi," he told her. He felt the weight lift from him when he finally said it. "I’m so besotted I feel as though I’ve gone mad, and I know ye think I’m just clinging to you because I’m afraid of the mating, but I don’t care about any of it. All I care about is you. I spent all those years chasing my nymphs and lovers and romance, but?—"

The fire crackled, and the silence stretched still. When Barith dared glance at her again, he found her violet eyes brimming with tears. His heart tore apart at the sight of it. "All I want is a chance to love you," he told her. "Just a chance."

Tears fell down her cheeks, and she sniffled. Barith came and knelt next to her. "Dinnae cry," he told her, wiping a falling tear with his thumb over her cheek. Her skin was so warm, and it filled him with relief. He’d been so terrified he might lose her.

Levian gasped at the feel of his touch, and his skin tingled. Her eyes flew to his, and the tears that had built in them fluttered down her cheeks as she blinked.

He wiped them all away, holding her beautiful face in his hands. "Please, don’t cry, love."

She sniffled and lay her hand over his wrist, leaning her cheek into his calloused palm, and closed her eyes. The tenderness tore at him. He’d missed her so much.

Levian’s eyes fluttered open. She looked into his eyes as if she were staring into the depths of his soul. The fire inside him sizzled as she leaned forward. His breath caught, and she kissed him.

Chapter Eighteen

Levian’s heart ached. There had been a lot she’d wanted to say and explain, but the moment Barith had said he loved her, it broke her apart. She was so tired, and she’d missed him so much. Levian knew everything was a mess, and she’d have to clean it all up, but as she’d looked into Barith’s amber eyes and felt his warm touch, she forgot about all of it. Her thieves. The thousands of reasons why they would never work. How she’d nearly died because she’d been reckless and stubborn. Tears ran down her cheeks, and she didn’t try to hide them.

When she kissed him, there was no explosion—no sizzle of magick. Just her lips pressed against his as the fire crackled in the hearth. She wrapped her arm around his neck, and he pulled her gently into his arms, careful not to hurt her. They breathed each other in and Levian sighed into Barith’s touch.

He pulled away, pressing slow, delicate kisses along her cheeks, eyes, and jaw until he found her lips again. In each simple kiss, she felt an outpouring of his love. She broke away and looked over his face, running her fingers along his beard and over his mouth. “I missed you,” she told him.

Barith leaned his head against hers. Her heart thrummed as it pressed against his chest. She kissed his bearded chin, jaw,and the corner of his mouth. When her lips met his again, her kiss was less tender. When the edge of her tongue slid against his bottom lip, Barith groaned and opened his mouth to her. Their tenderness soon became urgent as she deepened their embrace, and the need to be closer to him built like a raging fire.

When he pulled away, they were both panting and hot. “We shouldn’t,” he grumbled with reluctance. “You need to rest.”

Levian shook her head. Ismay’s tonics had worked wonders, and Cat’s shot of whiskey hadn’t hurt. She felt sore and achy, but not enough to dissuade her from having him. “I’ll be fine,” she told him. “Just don’t throw me around.”

Barith grumbled a small laugh and kissed her softly. “I don’t think we?—”

She reached up and ran her fingers along the edge of his wing, only adding the faintest bit of magick. Barith tensed and grunted in pleasure. Little tendrils of smoke fell from his nostrils as he glared at her. “Yer playin’ dirty,” he growled.

Levian smirked. “Don’t I always?” she breathed before kissing him again.

The dragon didn’t protest this time. He gently picked her up and carried her into the bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him. He sat on the edge of the bed with her in his lap as their kisses grew hotter, their panted breaths shallower and shallower. Levian pulled away to tear the shall off her shoulders and threw it on the floor. She shifted, bracing herself on his shoulders, until she straddled his lap.

Her heart raced as she looked down into his face. “Touch me,” she pleaded before her lips were on his again. Barith’s hands slid gently down her back along her butt, where he dug his fingers into her skin to press her harder against him. Levian gasped lightly into his mouth when she felt his hard length against the inside of her thigh.

She tugged at Barith’s long-sleeve shirt, and he happily yanked it over his head and tossed it aside. The mage ran her hands over his firm, bare chest before she broke away to kiss a trail down his neck. He leaned back to give her better access. When she came across his nipple, she flicked it with her tongue, and he hissed. She did it harder again, and he groaned softly.

She pushed Barith back, his large wings spreading awkwardly over the giant bed for such a small room. Levian ran her hands up his chest and over his shoulders before she leaned further over him and delicately caressed the parts of his wings she could reach.

His eyes glowed with fire, and he growled low up at her. Levian lowered herself down and kissed him, Barith’s skin growing hotter beneath her. He rolled her onto her back, careful not to be too rough, his wings flapping softly over them. Their kiss grew urgent again as Barith rocked his hips against her. Levian let out a sharp little moan into his mouth, digging her nails into his shoulder while she gripped the linens with her others. Her wound throbbed at all her exertion, but she ignored it. The fabric of the nightgown was thin enough that she could feel the ridge of him against her sex, and she wanted more.

Barith lay hot kisses along her jaw, down her neck and chest—the straps of the gown falling along her shoulders. Barite gently worked the fabric down past her bandage and along her wrapped arm until the cool air hit her exposed breasts. His beard brushed against her nipple, and she shucked in a breath. He breathed hot against her tender skin before he licked her just as she’d done to him. Levian hissed much the same, then gasped when he lay his mouth entirely over her and sucked.

Her core throbbed with raw, desperate desire as he did again. She moaned openly, savoring the delicious pleasure that rioted through her, drowning out the dull aches of pain. She was already writhing and wanting when she dug her fingersinto his hair and said his name on a plea. Barith’s mouth broke away from her breasts, and he lay hot, urgent kisses down her stomach, pulling the gown lower until he slid it over her hips and tossed it to the floor. He hooked his finger along the waist of her thin panties and pulled them down with nearly no effort at all. When her bottom was bare, he kissed along her hips, nipping at the protruding bone, making her groan with desire.

“Touch me,” she breathed, leaning back against the linens. His fingers slid up her thigh as he lay a kiss on the patch of groomed curls above the apex of her sex. One of his fingers slid over her, and they both groaned in tandem at how wet she was.

Levian had always known that if she ever got a chance, she might become addicted to Barith, and she felt that to her core as he stroked over her wet sex with his fingers. It wasn’t just that he knew what she wanted and how to pleasure her. He was tender and caring and savored her moans of ecstasy like they were sweets of which he couldn’t get enough. With Barith, she felt worshipped and loved.

She groaned his name as he ran his fingers over her and flicked his tongue over her nipple in a way he knew drove her mad. Levian wanted him. All of him.

Barith growled, sliding further down, propping her legs over each of his shoulders. Levian lifted her head to see his fire-filled eyes gazing up at her from where his mouth hovered just above her sex. He slowly stuck out his tongue, his eyes never wavering from hers, and set it upon her in one long, lush lick that sent her whole body trembling with a shock of pure pleasure. Levian groaned darkly, biting her bottom lip as Barith feasted upon her, growling with satisfaction with each rock of her hips.

Levian gasped as she felt herself grow close to the edge, sparks filling her eyes. When he plunged a finger inside her, she gasped again, digging her hands into the bed covers. He growled low and dark against her, adding another finger, and that was allit took. Levian came apart beneath his mouth. His tongue lapped over her, extending each wave of her pleasure as she trembled and moaned.

When he pulled away to remove his pants, Levian lay for a moment, sated but still wanting more. Barith shifted over her, the heat of his body hovering over her cool skin. His hands slid up to either side of her face, and he kissed her, the taste of her climax still on his tongue.